Abstract

Mass school shootings and overall school violence have caused increased fear among students and the general public. However, refugee students are less familiar with this phenomenon upon resettling to the United States.

Drawing on 30 in-depth interviews with refugee high school students who resettled to a Midwestern city, this phenomenological case study considers the environmental and experiential factors contributing to refugee youth’s perceptions of safety in the U.S. school environment. The authors use Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory to examine and interpret the ways in which refugee students experience and perceive mass school shootings and school safety, particularly through social media.

Results indicate that refugee youth feel a mixture of shock, anxiety, hopelessness, and fear of being potential victims of gun violence at school. The findings are noteworthy given refugee youth’s prior experiences with or knowledge of political violence and persecution.

This study concludes with recommendations for school social workers to help refugee students feel safer at school and adjust to the prevalence of American gun violence.